


Away From Home

by foxelot



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F, Non-graphic fight scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 19:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2822723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxelot/pseuds/foxelot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Princess Allison gets fed up with her life in the Argent castle, she flees leaving her parents worried and clueless. Unfortunately for her, her parents hire the best bounty hunter in the lands to track her down and bring her home. Not very long later, Allison is tracked down and although she agrees to go with the strange woman, the path may not lead them there after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Away From Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [millsandcrane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/millsandcrane/gifts).



> Thanks to the lovely Heather (devilsstraightedge on Tumblr) for betaing for me! This fic would be twice as awkward without her.

The castle stood tall and proud, jutting out magnificently from the side of the mountain it was built upon. The entire valley was ringed with mountains, a natural defense from invaders for the town settled at their base, with the castle built on the tallest of them all. Unfortunately, that meant that the path to the castle was very long and steep, thus deterring any visitors from frequenting its gates. Not that the king and queen minded. They preferred to be seen as the godly figures of the land on their throne of marble and gold; only heard from and never seen because it allowed them to keep their daughter away from those who would do her harm. As their only child, they protected her fiercely out of fear of losing her. However, the daughter hated being locked away, wanting nothing more than to go out and explore the world, meet new people, and maybe even fall in love.  
\---  
On the morning of her twenty-first birthday, Allison woke up to find a new coating of snow blanketed over the garden outside her window. She sighed at the sight, breath fogging the glass as she did so. As much as she enjoyed the beauty of winter, all of the time confined indoors was grating on her nerves. Allison longed to be in the gardens, taking in the scent of the flowers and breathing in the crisp, fresh air. It was as close to freedom as she would probably ever get under her parents’ rule. Until the snow cleared, the guards of the palace were under strict orders from her parents to keep her inside where it was warm and safe. Maybe though, she could manage today, using her birthday as an excuse to get her way.

Now with a slight smile, she moved away from the window, hearing her maid-servant’s gentle knocking on her door; there to get her ready for the day ahead. Once Allison could send Heather away without appearing rude, she would try to weasel her way out past her personal guard. Allison suspected they were sweet on her anyway, and loathe as she was to use that to her advantage, the call of fresh air and the sharp smell of snow and winter were just too much for her to ignore.

Once she was left to her own devices, breakfast eaten, and a simple outfit picked out to wear until her birthday celebration that night; Allison exited her room, turning down the hall just slightly to the guard posted there. 

“Scott?” she called out, trying to put as much innocence into her face and voice as she could to throw things in her favor. 

“Yes, my Lady?” he asked, voice eager. Allison rarely addressed him personally, usually sending a servant out to pass along instructions as was proper.

“Do you think I could have a walk in the gardens today? For my birthday?”

Scott bit his lip, seeming torn on how he wanted to answer her. “But your father said...” he began.

Allison cut him off with a frown. “I know, but I’ve been stuck inside for so long. It wouldn’t have to be for very long, just enough for some fresh air. He’d never have to know you’d let me.”

“I really wish I could say yes. But your parents would both see me kicked out to the streets with no form of employment at the mere thought that I’d endangered your health and safety in anyway by letting you out into the cold. And I really enjoy having this job.” The fact that he enjoyed it was because of his crush went left unsaid, but they could both pick it out of the air.

“I understand,” Allison replied diplomatically, but with an air of defeat around her. However, at the same time she was already formulating a plan to sneak out later, once the day had warmed up some.

Scott gave her a grateful smile, turning his attention back to the job at hand, standing at his post as he always did. 

Unfortunately, the plan never came to be as the snow began to fall again with a renewed vigor. Allison’s mother, Victoria, summoned her to the king and queen’s rooms to get ready for her party and the official crowning ceremony that followed, making Allison the official heir to the Argent throne. There was a very small part of Allison that was ready to accept and carry the title with honor, doing her best to ready herself for when it was finally her time to ascend the throne, but another, larger part lamented just how much more limited this night was going to make her freedom.

The ceremony went off without a hitch and Allison made it back to her rooms late that night, impatient and eager for the arrival of spring and warmer weather.

\---

The summons to the palace reached Braeden when she was halfway through her second glass of the strongest drink the inn offered. She sighed, glancing over the official documents with a well-trained eye. The pages offered little reason why the king and queen needed someone like her to help them when they had an entire army of trained soldiers at their beck and call. Braeden’s interest hit a peak when she saw just how much they were offering to pay her for her help however. It was nearly double her last job, and while that wasn’t exactly a small fee, the kind of money the king and queen were offering was absolutely nothing to turn down without at least getting more information. She’d be a fool to pass this up. 

Resolved to start the three day trek to the castle in the morning, Braeden finished her drink, only to order another with her supper that evening before retiring up to the room she’d rented for the night. Once there, she counted the money she had left, deciding that renting a horse was definitely more favorable than hiking up the mountain trail to the castle. It wouldn’t cut very much into her recent profits and the sooner this was done with, the sooner she could get back to her primary mission. She very nearly had enough money saved up now and the king and queen’s offer would tip her over the edge if she took the job and succeeded in it. No, not if- when she succeeded. Braeden never accepted failure.

With the thought of finally being able to fulfill her life goal firmly in mind, she drifted off into a light sleep, ready to rise with the sun and be on her way.

\---

The journey to the town which the Argents’ castle overlooked was uneventful. A mere two days later Braeden found herself astride the horse she had acquired at the town’s inn. They stood at the base of the trail which lead up to where the magnificent structure sat. The trail was long and steep, but she had been assured that the horse she’d paid for would be able to complete the climb before sundown. Braeden hoped she hadn’t been lied to or the innkeeper would have hell to pay. She wasn’t keen to waste any time. 

Eyes set on her goal, Braeden spurred the horse into motion, setting it at a reasonable pace. There was no use in hurrying and tiring the poor beast out before they could reach their destination. 

The ascent took the better part of the day with only a handful of short breaks for the horse. It was nearly sunset by the time the weary duo reached the castle gates. As they neared the iron gates, a pair of guards stepped from where they had been concealed to meet Braeden and her mount.

“What is your business here?” one of them asked as Braeden halted the horse far enough away that she was still out of their reach. She had no love for guards and had been on the wrong side of their swords far too often in her lifetime.

“I have summons from the king and queen,” she announced, looking at them squarely.

The two guards eyed her skeptically before the one that had spoken held out his hand, expecting her to give him the summons as proof. With a roll of her eyes, she reached a hand into her bag and pulled out the rolled up pages, passing them to the guard. He scanned them over for a moment before deciding that they were indeed real and then passed them back to her. He proceeded to give a nod to someone atop the wall, presumably another guard, to open the gates and let her through to the castle as the second guard on the ground disappeared to alert the monarchs of Braeden’s arrival. 

Once the gates were open, Braeden urged the horse through them, noting the creature’s reluctance and exhaustion. Once she was far enough in, she would ask if it could be stabled for a rest before she began her descent back down, regardless of whether it was with a new job or not. 

Much to her surprise, the king and queen were waiting on the steps of the palace when she finally closed in on the doors. She looked at them in puzzlement for a moment before dismounting, relinquishing the horse to a nearby stable boy who had appeared nearby. As she got closer, Braeden could clearly see the anxiety and fear etched on the monarchs’ faces. Something was terribly wrong, even more than she had previous anticipated.

"Your Majesties," she addressed, but didn't make to bow, instead staring at them steadily.

"Thank you for arriving so quickly," King Chris said sincerely, letting her lack of etiquette slide even as Queen Victoria's lips pursed a bit at the display. 

Braeden merely inclined her head in acknowledgement to the gratitude. "Why have you asked for my help?" she replied, cutting directly to the chase. "You have an entire army of soldiers at your disposal to aid you in times of need."

The king shook his head. "We should head inside for this discussion. It is not one for wandering ears to hear."

This made Braeden frown slightly. That seemed a little fishy, but it also made her terribly curious and she was confident in her abilities to get herself out of the castle if anything got out of hand. "Very well then," she agreed, following the two Argents inside. 

They ventured through the corridors, the grandeur lost on Braeden as she focused her attentions on the couple ahead of her, trying to gauge just what was going on here. The trio ended up, not in the public room for public audiences, but in a more private room off to the side. Once they were settled comfortably in chairs surrounding the modest table in the room, Braeden repeated her question from before.

Her insistence made the king sigh. Clearly he didn't want to admit the reason behind the summons, probably because it would mean admitting a failing on his part. Braeden just eyed him expectantly, deciding if he didn't fess up soon she would take her business elsewhere. 

Just before she was going to give up and cut her losses, Chris finally answered her. "The princess has run away."

Braeden's eyebrow rose. "And how is that my problem?"

"We need you to find her and bring her back to the castle," the queen said, tone steely after Braeden's blatant disregard of their statuses. 

"Can't your men do that? Or are they as incompetent as the rumors suggest?" 

Both monarchs scowled at her. "Our men are perfectly capable," Victoria said tersely. "But Allison can recognize them. We need someone that she won't be expecting to find her."

Braeden held back a smirk. They were finally getting somewhere with all of this. However, there were still questions to be answered before she'd either accept or decline the job. After all, she didn't want to waste anymore time than necessary, and it was beginning to sound like a relatively easy one. "And do you have some idea where she's gone? Or do you expect me to magically track her down?"

Chris sighed at the questions. "She was rumored to be in a village four days from here, but that was two weeks ago."

The amount of time caught Braeden's attention more than she cared to admit. This could be more interesting than she initially anticipated. After all, if a princess could elude trained guards for over a fortnight, there was something to be said of the girl's survival skills. It would pose the kind of challenge that Braeden loved, or at least she hoped it would. Unfortunately, the age of the news did put a damper on things. The princess could be anywhere after two weeks of travel. Thankfully, Braeden had found people on less.

She made a thoughtful face, considering everything and watching the king and queen's faces as they waited impatiently for her decision. The two were clearly distressed about their daughter's disappearance and everyone in the kingdom knew how they fiercely they protected her. If word got out, Allison could potentially be in danger, and that was the last thing her parents would want. Slowly, and almost boredly, Braeden inclined her head in a nod. "I'll find her for you."

The look of relief that she got from both of them nearly shocked Braeden. She had expected Chris to show it, because he seemed to be the more open of the two, but to see it also expressed on Victoria’s face magnified the desperation of the situation. They weren’t just the rulers of the land worried for their heir; they were parents worried for their daughter. It struck a chord in Braeden that she couldn’t ignore and she knew that she would find Allison no matter the cost now. She couldn’t fail after seeing parents so worried.

“Thank you,” they both said to her as the three rose from the table, the meeting at its end. 

“Don’t thank me until I’ve done what I’ve said I will,” Braeden replied, looking at them seriously. “But it will be done.”

\---

The king and queen allowed Braeden to stay the night in the castle to rest up since the sun was long since down by the time they adjourned from the little, private room. She was grateful, the wear of traveling for so long with so little rest was finally catching up to her. Besides, Braeden liked to start a job with a fresh mind and refreshed body. Taking advantage of the fortuitous circumstances, she had a hot bath that night to relax as well as a grand dinner. There was no telling when she might get another chance at it, so she would full and well do it now while she could. The wilderness where she was going could be so unforgiving. 

As she lounged in the tub, Braeden thought over just what it was that lay ahead of her now that she was officially taking the job. There was no telling how long it would take for her to track Allison down, plus the whole part of convincing the girl to come with her. Braeden had a feeling that Allison wasn’t about to do that willingly. Not after leaving like she had. And that led to another point. Why had she left in the first place? This was leading to more questions than Braeden usually dealt with and it was honestly making her a bit uneasy now that she was thinking about it more clearly. However, she had committed herself to the job, so she had no choice but to see it through. Finding people was her job after all and she had never failed to locate a target before. She wasn’t going to start now just because some princess had decided that court life wasn’t for her or whatever the reason was. That was simply ridiculous. She would never be able to live with herself if she gave up now. It just wasn’t in her nature.

Sighing, she stood from the bath, toweling off before slipping into the robe that had been left for her by a castle servant. This was going to be a long one and she had to be ready by morning’s light. She wouldn’t waste any more time than she had to. 

Heading over to her pack, Braeden pulled out the twin daggers she always carried with her, surprised that the guards hadn’t searched her for weapons before allowing her inside. It just showed to prove that the king and queen were so confident in their safety that they didn’t even protect themselves properly. Along with the daggers, she pulled out a small sharpening block that she’d gotten some years previously from a blacksmith she’d done a favor for. 

Carefully sharpening the blades to perfection, Braeden went over a list of supplies she’d ask of the king and queen in the morning in order to successfully retrieve their wayward daughter. It was the least they could do after all, since they had very little information that could actually lead to the girl. Braeden would have to travel light, but with the horse that she now had no intention of returning, she could carry a bit more along with her than usual. This would help in the long run since she wouldn’t be wasting time getting supplied on the road or hunting for game to eat. 

Once the blades were sharpened to her liking, Braeden packed them away again, carefully slipping them back in their sheaths. After all that was over and done with she pulled out her map, marking the town that the king had mentioned earlier. If she stayed at the same pacing she’d put the horse to to get to the castle, she could cut almost a half day off the trip. Getting the beast was a good move on her part, and Braden was pleased that it lived up to expectations. There was of course the matter of acquiring a second horse or sufficing a longer trip back once she had Allison, but that was something to deal with later. It wouldn’t come into play for some time, she knew. 

Studying the map a bit longer, Braeden had mapped out the most likely route that Allison would have taken after leaving the village. It wasn’t set in stone, however, and she would gather information from the villagers before heading out in that direction. But it was a start. 

When she’d finally prepped to her liking aside from getting the necessary supplies, Braeden slipped into her most comfortable set of clothing and climbed into the bed provided for her. It was grander than anything she’d slept in before. Being used to small beds in inns and the ground where she was far from people; this bed was like falling onto a cloud. Why anyone would run away from this was beyond her. For the first time in years, Braeden allowed herself to fall into a restful deep sleep, knowing she didn’t need to be on edge just for this night. 

Still, though, she woke with the light of the dawn, habit so ingrained into her that it was impossible to fight. After a light, quick breakfast, Braeden informed a passing servant that she sought an audience with the king and queen before she headed off to settle some last minute preparations. 

The two rulers allowed for it, and soon Braeden’s horse was saddled not only with her but with several light bags full of provisions for the road. She had also been given a token from the queen, something to give Allison as proof that her parents had sent this stranger to find her should the girl resist. Braeden accepted it easily, seeing the sense in the action. She gave the promise to them yet again that she would bring their daughter home and then set off on the long trip down the mountain. 

Whether it was as it actually happened or the adrenaline of a new adventure, the trip back down seemed to take less time than the ascent from the previous day. However, it was still rather late when Braeden finally reached the bottom so she decided to stay the night in the town rather than ride until dark and be stuck out in the open wilderness right off the bat. 

She chose a different inn from the one where she’d gotten the horse, so as to not raise questions and settled for the night, mind on the journey ahead of her in the coming days. She checked over her blades again, even though she hadn’t touched them in days and went over her route one more time before settling in for the night. The journey ahead firmly set in her mind as she drifted to sleep.

\---

Back pressed against the wide trunk of a tree, Allison stopped to catch her breath, ears listening for any sign of her pursuers. She wasn’t sure how the group had recognized her, since the people rarely saw her and she had changed her appearance, but they had. Thankfully, they hadn’t gone about shouting it out for anyone to hear and she could easily escape them. They didn’t seem like a particularly intelligent group, after all. 

She stayed where she was for a moment longer before turning to peek out behind her, having not heard anything for a few minutes aside from the usual sounds of the woods. No sooner had she done that, she heard a shout and one of the men burst from behind another tree. With a sigh of annoyance, Allison readied the bow she had slung over her shoulder, notching an arrow and letting it fly at the man. it struck him in the thigh, causing him to fall. She took the chance to lose them again. 

This was getting rather tedious and she really needed to get back to a town so that she could change her appearance again, since clearly the current one wasn’t enough. 

Once she’d covered a reasonable amount of ground, Allison stopped again, listening. But this time she also kept an eye behind her, so the same trick wouldn’t catch her again if she had any say in things. She stayed that way even longer this time and once she determined the coast was clear she moved from her hiding spot. She was a bit disoriented in which direction she needed to go, having made several turns every so often to throw those behind her off. 

As she walked, Allison wished she’d somehow marked the trees while she ran to have an idea of where she’d been before. Instead, she decidedly walked through the woods, hoping to reach the edge soon. If she could find a road, she could get back to civilization eventually. She momentarily lamented the loss of her satchel and supplies, thankful that she never took the bow from her person except in sleep. Without the weapon, she surely wouldn’t have gotten away from the group that had wanted to harm her. It had also been the first thing she’d gotten after her escape from the castle that had been her home her whole life and had become an extension of herself in the last month. Allison prided herself on the bow, having modified it just the way her aunt Kate had taught her when she was younger, before Kate had been banished from the kingdom by Allison’s father. Now it was even more deadly than before, and when held by Allison’s steady hand most enemies or game stood no chance. 

While she had never killed anyone with the bow or at all really, Allison knew that if her life was on the line and she had no choice, she could. She nearly had today. It would have only taken the twang of the bow string and someone would have been dead. Thankfully, it hadn’t come to that, because while Allison knew without a doubt that she could do it, she never wanted the choice to come up. Her father had once told her that something was irreversibly changed within a person once they had taken a life, and Allison never wanted to know what that feeling was like if she could help it. 

Thinking of her father made Allison wish for home, but only for a fleeting moment, as the memories of the last night she’d spent there flared back into her mind as fresh as the day it’d happened. The images flashing through her mind cemented her resolve all over again and any longing for the life she’d had vanished again. If she could help it, she was never going back. There was no force in the world that could make her do that. 

Allison continued walking somewhat aimlessly through the woods for the rest of the day, beginning to worry once the sun began setting. There was nothing worse than being stuck in the woods at night, especially when she couldn’t find anything to make shelter from. It was all trees, trees, and more trees. She sighed at the sight and continued on. Perhaps there was something further ahead that she could use before it got too dark to see and she was forced to stop in the open. If she did that, she had a feeling she’d get no sleep, and that was going to help no one at all. 

Luck finally seemed to be on her side when she spotted a small overhanging shortly before the sun set completely. Allison hurried over to it, wanting to reach it before she lost sight of it. The trees overhead were so thick they would block out any moonlight almost completely, so she also needed a fire, and fast. Upon reaching the overhanging, Allison quickly started to gather up all of the dry branches and kindling that she could find, working on getting a fire going immediately. It would help stave off not only the chill of the night, buy any creatures that were lurking about in the woods unseen by her eyes in the dimming light. 

Once the fire finally sparked to life, she curled up near it, removing her bow but keeping it close and settling down for the night. It took many hours for her to finally doze off into a light sleep. She woke up several times in the night from sounds of creatures moving about their business, and she was jumpy in the morning as well, running on far too little proper sleep. 

The fire had gone out in the night, so Allison didn’t bother with it much, only covering it to make sure no one could tell she’d been there should they happen upon it. She put her bow back in place and continued her search for a road, having no food for breakfast due to her lost supplies. Allison knew she’d have to stop and hunt for something soon or she wouldn’t make it very far, but the road was still the priority.

By midday, the trees had begun to thin out, but Allison still hadn’t reached a road by the time she had to stop and find something to eat. Luckily, she’d seen plenty of small game as she’d pushed her way through the surrounding forest and it didn’t take long for her to kill something for lunch and prepare it using the small knife on her belt for such purposes. It also wasn’t the first time that she was thankful for some of the stranger lessons she’d been given while growing up; none of this would have been possible otherwise. 

After she’d eaten and found a small stream to wash up in and get some water, Allison set back on her search for the road. She pushed her way through a particularly thick bunch of bushes and stopped just short of falling across the road that was cutting its way straight through the trees. It wasn’t the best made road she’d ever seen, but for Allison it was enough right now because all roads lead somewhere eventually. Glancing both ways down the road, she picked a direction and set off, hoping to find somewhere to stay before the sun set again. 

She was just starting to debate if pulling off the road to find shelter for the night was a better idea than continuing to walk for the day when Allison spotted a town in the distance. Or at the very least a couple of buildings, which was more than enough for her currently. Allison estimated that she could reach it before dark and with a new goal in mind she picked up her pace slightly. As she neared it a few hours laters, she could make out that it was definitely a small town or village. That meant supplies and hopefully an inn for the night. 

The sun was nearly set when she finally set foot in the village, but she’d made it. There were still people bustling about as they readied for the night, or perhaps rather for a night out. Allison saw as she noted which building was the village’s inn. It was a small building, one that couldn’t house more than a handful of people at a time, but it was there and it was better than the ground again. Wearily, she headed towards it, ignoring all of the eyes that turned to her as she did so. Of course people would stare at a stranger walking into town, it had happened in all of the ones she’d been to before this one and would probably keep happening unless she found somewhere to settle down. She reached the door to the inn, stepping lightly inside and glancing around. 

There was a young girl probably around her age behind the bar counter and that’s where Allison headed. “Hello?” she said as she approached, not wanting to startle the girl who seemed to be rather engrossed in something behind the bar.

She looked up, annoyance at being interrupted barely concealed. “Yes?”

“I was wondering if you had a spare room for the night.”

The girl sighed, clearly not wanting to deal with this. “We do,” she replied, “but you don’t look like you could buy a speck of dirt, let alone a room.”

Allison glanced down at herself, only just now noting the state of her skin and clothes from traipsing through the forest all day. “It’s been a long day,” she explained tiredly. “But I assure you I can afford a room.”

“Yeah, okay,” the girl said before telling Allison the rate they charged for a night and also the one for a night plus a meal and then holding out her hand for the expected money. 

Allison dug into the small pouch at her waist for the appropriate amount of money to get a meal too, handing it over to the girl with a look that could almost be called smug on her face.

The girl counted it over and tested its authenticity before giving an approving nod. “It seems I’ve underestimated you,” she said flippantly, previous annoyance vanishing. “I’m Lydia.”

“Allison,” she replied, having not bothered to conceal her real name in her travels. She’d run into several other girls with the same name, and everyone just assumed she’d been named after the princess.

“There’s a table over there,” Lydia inclined her head to a small wooden table in the corner, “that no one ever uses. If you want to go sit, I’ll have something from the kitchen ready for you in just a moment.” 

Allison gave her a grateful smile, heading to the table eagerly, more than ready to finally be off her feet and resting. She had enough money on her to stay in the village for a few days and stock back up on her supplies again, although she didn’t know what she would do after that. It would all depend on what happened over the next few days, she supposed. She was so lost in her thoughts and planning that she jumped when a plate was set down in front of her, followed by a mug. “Thank you,” she said, looking up at Lydia.

“You’re welcome, but if you need anything else tonight, don’t ask for me. I’ve filled my quota for helping wayward strays for the day.”

Allison smiled faintly. “Got it,” she said, not taking offense in the words. They were nothing short of true, and Lydia’s tone suggested they hadn’t been meant maliciously. 

“Good.” The redhead turned to go back to minding the bar, a few of the townspeople having come in for an evening drink. 

While Allison ate she glanced around the little main room. Aside from the bar there were a handful of mismatched tables with even more mismatched chairs. There was also a door leading to what Allison assumed was the kitchen and a set of stairs that presumably led to the rooms for rent. She finished the meal rather quickly, but took her time finishing her drink, using the time to also observe the patrons of the inn, trying to scope out what she’d probably have to deal with in her efforts to obtain supplies the next day. 

The bunch in the inn didn’t look like too much, and Allison hoped that meant she’d have an easy time of things in the morning. She wasn’t really feeling up to hardcore bargaining since she was essentially starting from scratch, but she would if it became a necessity. 

Eventually, she felt herself dozing off at the table and decided to retire upstairs to her room for the night. Pushing her chair back, Allison also decided to take her emptied dishes back over to the bar rather than leaving them at the table like most people did. She left them on the countertop since Lydia was in the middle of serving another person and then disappeared upstairs. She quickly found her room for the night, heading in and locking it behind her. 

Once inside the room Allison toed off her boots, leaving them by the door. She crossed the room to the window, throwing it open to let in some fresh air. Then she hurried over to stoke up the fireplace. There was also a small jug for water and a bowl in the room, which Allison decided to use in the morning to wash up as much as she could. For now, she used the water to get some of the dirt out of her clothing, laying them down in front of the fire to dry and leaving her in only her under clothes. It was less than she was comfortable wearing, especially after the events of a couple days before but it had to be done. Finally, she laid down in the bed. It wasn’t the softest bed ever, but it was about a thousand times nicer than a night on the ground, and soon Allison was fast asleep. 

It was well into the morning before Allison finally woke up, exhausted mind and body needing the rest desperately. She was only roused by the growling of her stomach demanding breakfast. After taking the time to wash her face and arms in the leftover water from the night before, Allison retrieved her now dry clothes from in front of the fire, slipping them on gratefully. She closed the window, pulled on her boots, and headed downstairs to see what she could do about getting some food.

To her surprise, Lydia was behind the counter again, but this time she had a plate of food in front of her as well. She glanced up as Allison came down the stairs. “Well, you definitely look better than yesterday,” she remarked. 

Allison smiled, taking a seat on one of the barstools. “Thanks, and good morning to you too,” she replied. Her eyes fell to Lydia’s plate as her stomach growled nearly audibly. “Any chance of breakfast?”

The other girl sighed. “I suppose so, yes, but it’s not covered in the expenses you paid last night, so it’ll be extra.”

Allison waved the comment away. “That’s not a problem. In fact, I actually need the room for a few more days. I lost all of my supplies in the last town I was in and need to replenish it.”

An almost smile graced Lydia’s face at the mention of Allison needing the room for longer. “That can definitely be arranged,” she said pleasantly, never one to turn down business that would help her family survive come winter. “Give me til after lunchtime and I can help you get those supplies as well.”

That surprised Allison. “You’d do that?”

This time Lydia did actually smile. “Of course,” she said as she stood to fetch more breakfast foods from the back. “There’s just something about you that I like.”

Allison stared after her, trying to puzzle the girl out. She had been so unwelcoming the night before but now seemed almost friendly. Perhaps she was just the type to be crabby after a day’s work. Or maybe it was that Allison no longer looked like she’d been dragged by the ankle through the woods. Either way, she wouldn’t decline any kindness she could get. It could also easily be the amount of money Allison was going to be dishing out to Lydia that was making her so friendly now. Although she’d never experienced it herself, Allison had heard how harsh winters could be and it was nearly late summer now. 

“You’re frowning,” Lydia pointed out as she returned with a plate for Allison, the food still steaming like it was freshly made. 

“Oh,” Allison said quietly, having not realized it. “Sorry.”

“Well, I don’t care that you are. It’s none of my business that you’re unhappy about something,” she stated matter of factly, as she took her seat again and went back to her own food. “Eat.”

Not needing to be told twice, Allison did just that relishing the warmth of the meal. The dinner she’d gotten the night before hadn’t been nearly as good since she’d arrived later in the evening and it had gone a bit cold and hard before she got it. “Thank you,” she told Lydia belatedly, already halfway through the meal before she realized her lack of manners. 

Lydia just shrugged, having nearly finished her own meal. “It’s literally my job,” she said, although her tone suggested she wished it wasn’t. 

“Right,” Allison muttered, as she picked at a piece of bread in the momentary awkwardness that followed. 

The two of them lapsed into a solid silence as they both finished up eating and Lydia returned the dishes to the kitchen for washing. Briefly, Allison wondered if Lydia was in charge of that as well or if there was someone in the back that took care of such things. She couldn’t recall seeing anyone, but running an inn alone couldn’t be an easy job. However, she decided against asking. It wasn’t her business to pry into Lydia’s life. She’d only just met the other girl after all, and if everything went to plan, Allison would probably never see her again anyway. 

Once Lydia returned yet again, the two of them began to discuss the rates for Allison’s extended stay in the inn while she gathered supplied up again. This whole endeavor would lighten up Allison’s purse considerably, as she’d gone through a large portion of her savings in the few months since she’d left home. Soon she’d probably have to stop somewhere and pick up some sort of work to get more. She’d have to settle down somewhere soon anyway, once winter started to approach more steadily. There was no way she was equipped to survive a winter traveling, not once the snows began. 

She lounged around the main room of the inn, watching the lunch time rush come and go as people hurried to get a hot meal in their bellies so they could continue on with their work for the day. Several other travelers passed through the town, too. Allison could tell from the way others eyed them and how Lydia treated them. Thankfully, none of the people that had been chasing Allison before showed up. She definitely was in no shape to take off again. 

Soon the rush died down and the inn emptied out as people went on about their business for the day again. At some point, Lydia disappeared to the back for a few moments. Upon her return came to the table that Allison had been sitting at for most of the day following breakfast. “Alright, my mom’s gonna watch the front for a bit. Let’s go get your supplies.”

Allison smiled at her gratefully as she stood from the chair she was sat in, question from earlier answered. “Thank you again for doing this. It will be really helpful,” she said sincerely, smiling at the girl.

Lydia just nodded in a way that dismissed the thanks, turning on her heel to lead the way out of the building and onto the path that ran through the whole of the village. “First things first,” she said once Allison had caught up with her, “you need new clothes. Those are a disgrace.”

Glancing down at herself again at one of Lydia’s comments, Allison had to agree. They weren’t in the worst shape, but her clothes definitely had some tears in them and only having one set wasn’t going to do her any favors anyway. “That seems like a good idea,” she replied. “But only a few sets. I don’t need much.”

Lydia didn’t reply, but Allison was sure she’d seen her roll her eyes at the comment. They walked a few buildings down the path and walked inside. From the look of things, it was clearly the home of a seamstress or tailor. “Danny!” Lydia called out as she traipsed up to the counter in the shop. “You have a new customer!”

Shortly after, a head poked around the curtain that partitioned the back of the shop off from the area customers used. “Hello,” he said pleasantly, which was a far cry from Lydia’s greeting the day before Allison was pleased to note.

“Hello,” she returned, walking further inside to explore a bit. There were a few articles already made, hanging around the walls. She could easily go with those and just have them altered to fit. It would take up the least amount of time and Allison didn’t need anything elaborate anyway.

Danny seemed to notice her looks to the merchandise and came out completely from where he’d been working. The two of them began to discuss the clothes and pricing, leaving Lydia to roll her eyes at both of them several times. It took several moments for them to hash out the details completely and for Danny to get the measurements needed for Allison’s new clothes, but they agreed that she’d pick them up in three days’ time before she headed on her way out of the town. 

“Finally,” Lydia said once they were done, since both of them had each shushed her when she tried to give input on the clothes, thus making her antsy and unhappy. 

“It wasn’t that long,” Danny defended the two of them. “You didn’t have to stay around for it.”

Lydia shrugged and made to pull Allison from the shop. 

“Thank you!” Allison called over her shoulder as she was forcibly pulled outside.

The two girls continued around town gathering up a new bag for Allison to put all of her things in, as well as some food that wouldn’t go bad on the road and other general survival supplies like means to make a fire more easily and a few more weapons. By the end of it all, Allison’s purse was rather diminished and she was starting to think she’d have to find the work in this town to make up for it instead of waiting until the next one. She’d decided during the night and act accordingly the next day, since she was already paid up in the inn until then. 

It was just in time for the dinner rush to start that they made it back, and Lydia was swept away to get back to work and relieve her mother from trying to run the kitchen and help the patrons at the bar with their food and drinks. Allison took the plate offered to her with a kind smile and she retreated to her usual table to eat it and people watch some more. From her place in the corner she was able to hear several conversations from the few surrounding tables. She kept an ear out for anyone in need of help to approach if she decided she needed to take on some work for more funds. 

It was long after sundown when the inn finally cleared out and Allison rose from her seat to return her plate and cup again. Lydia smiled graciously at her, the smiles coming more often and sincerely now. It seemed as if their day together had loosened something up in the harsher girl. Allison was happy to see it, especially if she was staying in town longer than she’d initially anticipated. With a goodnight to Lydia, she retreated up the stairs to count her remaining money and settle in for the night. 

In the morning Allison informed Lydia that she planned to be in town longer than previous thought to earn some extra money, and the smile she got from the shorter girl was the brightest yet as she offered to let Allison help out in the inn to cover room and board while she saved up. 

\---

In the end, Allison ended up staying far longer than just a few more days, having decided to stay after Lydia shyly kissed her a week into things. It was so out of character for the redhead that Allison knew it was entirely sincere. The two of them fell into a pattern shortly after that, and before Allison could blink it was already autumn and she needed to start planning for winter. While a part of her knew that staying in this one place for so long was a bad idea and would make it easier for her to be found, there was another part of her that didn’t want to leave, having finally found something good that made her happy. 

The day it all went to hell started out like any other morning. Allison was in the back of the inn cleaning up after breakfast, having insisted that Lydia’s mother have a day off for once. Once the sounds of people in the front room died down Lydia came back and started helping, making sure to stand so the two of them were literally touching as they worked. With both sets of hands working, they finished cleaning up quickly. 

“Do you have any jobs to do today?” Lydia asked, since Allison was still helping around the village when she could. 

The brunette shook her head. “No, I finished up the last project I had lined up yesterday. Why?”

“Let’s have a picnic today, while it’s still warm enough out. Just the two of us.”

Allison smiled. “I’d like that very much, but what about lunchtime here?”

“Taken care of,” Lydia assured her, shushing Allison when she started to ask how it had been done. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay,” Allison sighed. “I trust you.”

Lydia smiled widely at her and leaned to kiss her cheek. “Good, because my plans are the best.”

Allison’s smile widened at Lydia’s smile. Seeing the other girl so open about her happiness made Allison incredibly happy as she thought of how Lydia was usually so closed-off to strangers and people she didn’t trust. The fact that she had chosen Allison as one of her people to open up to made something flutter in Allison’s chest and if she knew anything about it, she’d almost call it falling in love. But what did Allison know about love? She’d never seen anyone interact as a couple aside from her parents growing up, and they weren’t exactly the best example most of the time. She knew they did love each other, but it wasn’t very romantically, since they had been forced into marriage when Victoria came of age. They had grown to care for each other very much, though, and Allison was happy that they could manage anything due to the circumstances that their marriage had come around. 

Either way, she didn’t know what to call what she had with Lydia in this tiny little town near the border of the kingdom. All Allison knew was that it made her happy, and that was all that really mattered in the long run. 

She leaned into Lydia’s side. “So what’s your grand plan then?” she asked almost teasingly. 

“You’ll just have to wait and see, now won’t you?” Lydia challenged. “Wear your boots, though. It’ll be a trek to get where we’re going.”

Allison frowned a little bit. Since when had Lydia willingly gone wandering around the woods? Regardless, she nodded. She knew the woods forwards and backwards by now, spending much of her time in them when she had a moment to herself. So once they were headed off she’d be able to guess where they were going easily. 

They spent the rest of the morning preparing for the picnic, packing up spare meats and cheeses and bread for lunch and fruit for dessert. Allison offered to carry it all, and not so surprisingly Lydia allowed for this. Apparently not even her grand scheme would make her carry something heavy, especially on a hike. It was nearly midday when they set out, having decided to stick around and make sure things were actually under control at the inn and settling for a late lunch once they got wherever Lydia had in mind for them to go. 

The couple walked to the northern edge of the town before veering off into the woods, and almost immediately Allison knew exactly where they were going. There was a lovely clearing an hour’s walk in the direction they were going. She smiled to herself, not giving away that she knew Lydia’s secret spot. It was actually the perfect spot for a picnic this late into the year, when the trees were all turning gold and red and yellow. The small stream that was nearby just added to the perfection of the clearing, lending it a soothing soundtrack and also somewhere to rinse up after a meal and long hike there. 

The whole time there, Allison and Lydia held hands and kept getting distracted by playful kisses, causing the time to get there to raise from an hour to nearly two hours, but neither of them really minded. They were just happy to be spending time alone together. 

Once they finally reached the spot, Lydia stopped, and Allison was pleased that she'd been correct in her guessing. They settled their lunch on the ground, spreading the blanket it was wrapped in on the ground for a place to sit without worrying about grass sticking them. The two of them sat close to each other, occasionally sharing food or feeding the other as they ate and chatted. It was literally perfect, and Allison was sad that they probably wouldn't get the chance again before winter set it and made such trips impossible. Already her mind had decided that they would do it again at the first sign of spring, but she didn't even know if she would still be in the town once spring arrived again. She was already risking a lot by being there for four months. 

The problem was Lydia, because Allison wasn't keen on just leaving her there, but she also knew that the girl wouldn't follow her when she eventually left. She had her mother to worry about and she wasn't cut out for surviving in the wilderness at all.

The thought drew a sigh from Allison, and Lydia looked at her in concern. “You shouldn’t be so sad about this. What’s on your mind?”

Allison shook her head. “Nothing, don’t worry about it”

It was Lydia’s turn to frown now, because it was clear that Allison was hiding something from her. “You can talk to me about anything, you know?”

“I know, Lyds,” Allison replied. But she couldn’t, not really. Lydia still didn’t know who she really was and Allison wasn’t sure if she ever wanted her to know. She had left the castle to escape all of that, after all. She didn’t want to be Princess Allison, heir to the Argent throne. She just wanted to be Allison, that girl who was really good at hunting and could kick some serious ass. 

Lydia was still frowning at her, despite the reassuring answer. “You’re not leaving, are you?” she said, voice unsure. Lydia could remember all those months ago when Allison had only planned to stay for a few days, not a few months. She had a feeling it was only a matter of time now.

Allison bit her lip, considering her answer before finally replying. “I don’t know. I don’t want to, but it’s not safe to stay much longer.”

Lydia gave her a knowing nod. “Because you’re running away from something, right?”

The Argent heir looked at her sharply. But of course Lydia had figured that out. She was smart as a tack and Allison had been in really poor shape when they first met. “Because I’m running away from something,” she confirmed, voice soft. She almost didn’t want to admit it, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie to Lydia anymore than she had to and the other girl was already so sure of the answer that it would be a waste anyway. 

Sighing, Lydia leaned her head on Allison’s shoulder. “At least stay the winter,” she reasoned. “It’ll be here soon and you’re already settled into life in the town. Starting over so close to the first snow would be a foolish move.” 

It was impossible to fault Lydia’s logic; she was absolutely correct. But there was a part of Allison that felt that the sooner she cut ties and moved on the better. Staying several more months would only cement her ties even more and could potentially make it too hard to leave again. It had been hard enough to leave her parents over half a year ago. Steeling her resolve, Allison nodded. She knew the smartest move was to stay, she just couldn’t let herself get any more attached than she already was. 

The action caused Lydia’s frown to be replaced with a tiny smile. It almost broke Allison’s heart to see, even though she was also glad that the other girl was happy. The beginning of the spring would be a difficult time for them both, but she was confident that they would both be alright in the end. 

The rest of the picnic went off without a hitch and they spent the rest of their time out with their toes dipped in the stream as they talked. It wasn’t yet too cold to enjoy the feel of the current for a while. It was nearing dinnertime by the time they packed up to returned to town, and they arrived back just in time to help with the bulk of the rush that came with it. Normally, the inn got a couple of new visitors every couple of days, and today seemed to be one of those days as Allison helped set up a room for dark skinned woman that had walked in near the end of the day and who kept eyeing her suspiciously. The stares made Allison nervous that this woman knew who she was, but the stranger said nothing as she took the room key and headed up the stairs. Once she was out of sight, Allison let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and earned herself a concerned look from Lydia that had her shaking her head in reply. There was no need to worry Lydia over nothing. 

However, Allison was on edge for the rest of the night, and she couldn't even properly enjoy the kisses from Lydia that they snuck in the kitchen between guests when her mother wasn’t looking. There was just something completely off about the whole thing, and Allison was worried.

She managed to put it out of her mind for long enough to fall asleep, but the next morning it was back again the second she saw the stranger in the inn at breakfast. Ignoring the eyes on her back, she set about helping Lydia out, movements were a bit clumsier than usual. Not enough to be noticeable to the patrons of the establishment, but enough for Lydia to look at her curiously. Allison knew that it meant Lydia would be asking about her later, making sure she was okay. It warmed Allison’s heart that Lydia was still so concerned about her after their conversation at the picnic the day before. She knew that Lydia could just as easily have cut herself off from Allison to save herself the pain later. It was exactly the type of thing that Lydia would do, too. 

Once breakfast was over and done with, Lydia pulled Allison aside, just as Allison had predicted. “You seem off, are you okay?” the redhead asked.

“I’m fine. I just... does the woman that checked in last seem a bit suspicious to you?” Allison didn’t want to particularly voice her thoughts out loud, but she had to see if Lydia had at least gotten the same feelings she had. 

Lydia thought it over for a moment before nodding at Allison. “She keeps staring at you like she expects something to happen. I don’t like it.”

“Okay, so it’s not just me,” Allison breathed out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t just paranoid then. “We should definitely keep an eye on her.”

“We should, yes, but not obviously.” If Lydia was anything, she was subtle. 

Allison couldn’t agree more with the statement. It wouldn’t be a wise move to make the stranger pay them any more attention than she already was. That would just make matters even worse. Especially if the woman knew Allison’s real identity. Allison wanted to do anything she could to avoid confirming that.

Hopefully this stranger would move on in a day or two and be done with the whole ordeal without any complications. That would be the ideal situation but Allison couldn’t allow herself to get her hopes up, just in case something did go wrong. She had enough money saved now to be able to get to a new town before winter and establish herself there for the season, but she didn’t want to have to do that if she didn't need to. She would also have to go more than one town over, since the strange woman could easily just follow her there. Allison would have to work to lose her in the short time until the snow started up. It wouldn’t be easy if she had to do it, but it also wasn’t impossible. 

Sighing, Allison cast the woman from her mind. The lady had already left out of the inn, probably for the day, and she had work to be doing both for Lydia’s mom and for a couple of townspeople. Her focus needed to be on those things and not on something that could very well just being her imagination running wild. 

She finished cleaning up the breakfast dishes with Lydia and then bid her farewell to go and help out in town with a few projects that required strong, steady hands to get them done. It definitely hadn’t taken the town long to realize just how strong Allison was or how steady she was with a bow in her hand. It had helped the town get more than enough meats stored away from the winter, since she could fell an animal from a large distance with just one shot. And Allison never missed. That was the one thing she prided herself on above all else. It was also the first task on her list for the day, so she headed off to the butcher’s to find out the game plan for the day. 

If she was out of sight, maybe she’d be out of mind too, at least where the stranger was concerned. Allison could only hope. She was happy where she was, and she wanted it to stay that way. It had taken her so long to learn what true happiness felt like and now that she had it, she wasn’t very well going to just let it go. If it came down to a fight, so be it. But she probably was just being paranoid; even though Lydia had seen it too. The redhead didn’t seem overly concerned with the looks, so Allison tried to let it go some, because Lydia was the smartest person she knew even if Lydia tried to hide it. 

Once she had her quota for the day Allison headed out to the woods, keeping her ears and eyes open for her targets. She stashed the wagon that the butcher gave her to haul the creatures back a short ways in. Dragging it behind her would just scare all of the game off. Being in the woods soothed her, and she let her mind go blank to the problem at hand. There had always just been something about being outdoors and in the actual wilderness that made Allison feel at peace. The gardens she’d grown up roaming in were large enough for small adventures as a child, but as she’d grown up Allison had found that wasn’t enough. It was part of the reason she’d run away.

She walked further in the woods, knowing that no animals large enough to be worth anything would be so close to the edge when there were people around. She had several hours left in the day so she wasn’t worried about losing time and being stuck out after dark. This had become somewhat second nature to her. By the end of the day, she’d struck down three deer to haul back almost certain this would be the last hunting excursion for the year. Many of the larger game had migrated for the winter by that point. Pulling the three creatures onto her wagon was the hard part of the afternoon, but once it was done getting back was easy. 

After dropping the deer off, Allison headed back to the inn noting it was about time for dinner and aiming to help Lydia. Plus, Allison hadn’t seen her all day and wanted to spend some time with her. She strolled along the six buildings between the butcher and the inn, but stopped just short of going in as she noticed the stranger lurking in the small space between two of them. Allison stared at her for a moment, having felt the woman’s eyes on her as she walked by. After a moment, the woman spoke. “You’re Allison, correct?”

With a hesitant nod, Allison wondered who this woman had been talking to throughout the day, because she was certain no one had said her name in proximity of the woman for her to learn it. “And you are...?”

“Braeden,” she answered clearly. “Your parents sent me.”

“My parents...?” Allison raised an eyebrow, trying to play it off that she had no idea what this Braden woman meant. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any parents. They passed last winter.”

Instead of looking regretful or sorry like Allison was aiming for, Braeden simply looked almost amused. “Excuse me if I don’t believe you.”

Allison snorted at her. “Let’s pretend you don’t, even though it’s true. How would you prove what you say?” 

Staring at her for a moment longer before moving, Braeden reached down into the pouch at her waist, pulling something out of it and holding it out for Allison to examine. As she looked at it, the young girl had to do everything she could to stop her mouth from dropping open. It was a ring that had been forged specifically for her mother. There was no other one like it in existence, meaning that Braeden had really been sent by the king and queen to find her. 

She swallowed and handed the ring back, even though all she really wanted to do was keep it and hold it and remember her parents for a moment. When she’d left Allison had taken nothing of her old life with her and it pained her now to see something so small and to think about what she had left behind. Braeden took the small object and tucked it back into the pouch. “I won’t force you to come with me,” she said, so entirely sure that she had the right girl. “But I will tell you that they are extremely worried about you.”

Allison bit her lip at the statement. It struck a chord somewhere deep inside her, the thought of her parents fraught with worry over her well being and not being able to do anything about it. Due to her reactions that she’d been unable to hide, she knew that lying from this point on was useless. If Braeden hadn’t picked up on things, Allison wouldn’t outright tell the woman, but she seemed like the kind of person that would notice things like that. She vaguely reminded Allison of Lydia in that way; they had the same sharp eyes. 

Seeing that she was getting somewhere, Braeden pressed on. “Like I said, though, I won’t force you to come with me. I’m not okay with kidnapping. That’s not what I do. But I think your parents would appreciate it if you came along.”

“I’m happy here,” Allison said quietly, but the thought of her parents was weighing on her and it was obvious. She knew it was just an attempt to pull her in emotionally, but it was working. The more she let herself think about her parents, the more Allison missed them and the more she wanted to see them again. But she also had Lydia to think about. Although it was unspoken between them that Allison was probably leaving in the spring, she still didn’t want to leave suddenly like this. 

“And I’m sure you can be just as happy back home,” Braeden reasoned. “They won’t want you to be unhappy enough to run away again.”

“No,” Allison said resolutely, making up her mind for good as she thought about the reason she’d left in the first place. “I’m staying here.”

Braeden nodded. “And that’s fine with me. I said I wouldn’t force you to leave,” she replied. “But that also means I’m staying as well. I never fail to finish a job.”

Allison scowled at her. That hadn’t been part of the plan, and she didn’t know how to work around that yet. She wanted this woman gone before she ruined everything Allison had worked to build up in this little town. And Allison had no doubt that Braeden would try to do just that. She was behaving like the type that would do anything to get what she wanted. Allison only hoped that the townspeople knew and trusted her enough to not believe this stranger in their midst even though Braeden wouldn’t be telling them any lies. At least, she probably wouldn’t be. 

“Do whatever suits you,” she said eventually. “But my mind won’t change.”

Braeden smiled at her, and it wasn’t exactly unkind but it also wasn’t friendly. “You keep thinking that,” she challenged. 

“I will.”

Still smiling, Braeden finally removed her attention from Allison, allowing the young girl to escape into the inn where she was met with a very concerned Lydia. “Are you okay?” the redheaded girl asked her, looking her over. “Did something happen?”

Allison was taken aback momentarily, thinking that Lydia knew what had conspired just outside her doorstep. But she quickly realized that Lydia meant Allison didn’t normally take so long when she went hunting. Smiling reassuringly, Allison shook her head. “No, nothing happened. I just went farther in than usual. The animals are all migrating for the winter and so it’s taking longer to find them.”

“Oh,” Lydia said quietly, nodding slowly. “That makes sense.”

Allison gave her another reassuring smile, before allowing herself to get swept up in helping people coming to the inn for the night, making a point to always be too busy to talk with Lydia much. She could tell the other girl hadn’t exactly bought her excuse for being late getting back, but Allison really didn’t want to get into the truth. Allison had kept her secret for so long that she knew Lydia wouldn’t take it well, if she even believed her at all. Lydia seemed to have her ideas of what a princess should be like and Allison was anything but what a proper princess.She had never been a traditional princess, and her family hadn’t tried to raise her to be. The Argents were certainly different in that aspect, especially her aunt Kate. 

Somehow, Allison managed to avoid Lydia for the rest of the night, even though it pained her to do so. She’d be better in the morning after she had time to herself to figure all of this out and figure out a plan. She just needed the time to do that. 

\---

Unfortunately, all of Allison’s efforts were in vain because the next morning Lydia cornered her shortly after sunrise. “You’re avoiding me,” the shorter girl accused as soon as she had Allison’s attention.

Allison sighed, studying Lydia’s face for a moment before replying. “I’m sorry,” she said, deciding that trying to fib her way out of it wasn’t going to work. Lydia looked far too determined and sure of herself to buy any fib that Allison could spew out. 

“I don’t want your apologies. I want an explanation.”

The brunette opened her mouth to explain herself, but stopped short. She had left her home, her family, and she hadn’t properly talked about either since. Allison wasn’t even sure if she could at this point and was prepared to use the story she’d thought of the previous night to get out of it.

“And don’t lie to me,” Lydia cut in again before she could even say a word. “I can tell you’re about to.”

This stopped Allison short and she stared at Lydia, eyes wide and apologetic. The other girl looked so sure and upset about the prospect of Allison lying. If she didn’t know better, Allison would think Lydia knew Allison had been lying to her since they met. But that was impossible, no matter how sure Lydia looked. At least... it had to be, right?

“If you’re so sure of the reason, why don’t you tell me?” Allison challenged. She had to know before she potentially ruined it all.

“Easy,” Lydia replied with an inexplicable smile. “Your conversation with our gorgeous local stranger.”

“I don’t...” Allison began but stopped when she saw Lydia’s expression darkened slightly. “Yeah.”

“So it’s true then, what she claimed?”

Biting her lip, Allison nodded. “Yes.”

Instead of looking angry or upset, Lydia’s previous smile grew even more. It was an entirely unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome reaction. “So I’ve managed to win the affections of the heir to the illustrious Argent throne,” she said cheerfully, proud of herself.

Relieved by the reaction, Allison let out a tiny laugh. “You did, yes.”

Sighing, Lydia’s smile slipped away. “You should go with her,” she said, not meeting Allison’s eyes any longer for a moment before she looked back at her. “It’s the right thing to do. You know it is.”

A part of Allison knew that was true, but there was another part of her that wanted to fight it. She had no desire to return to the life she’d had before. However, she was also worried for her parents.There was no way she could pop in to check on them and just leave again though. She bit her lip again, conflicted. “I’ll think about it,” she said finally.

It was more than she’d given Braeden the day before, when she had been so sure she wasn’t going anywhere, but Lydia had always been more likely to win her over in an argument anyway. For Lydia, she would seriously consider it. In the end, all it would do was moving her inevitable departure forward.

Lydia seemed pleased with the answer. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“Of course,” Allison replied quietly. 

With a smile that could almost be called sad, Lydia leaned to peck Allison’s cheek before turning to start on the morning’s work.

\---

It took several days and another conversation with Lydia on the topic, but Allison’s mind was finally made up. She spent the morning as she normally would, but later that afternoon, she sought Braeden out. “Are you busy?” she asked as her greeting.

Braeden shook her head. “I’m only here because you’re here,” she said. “I have no other business to do with this town.”

The young brunette let out a sigh. “Right,” she said, voice bland. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

This caught Braeden’s interest and she raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Allison to continue. With another sigh, she did so. “I... Lydia overheard us the other day, and she confronted me about it. She told me that I should go with you back to my home,” she explained. “I was unsure about it at first. Lydia is the only reason I’ve stayed here so long, but here she was telling me it’s okay to go and cut off the last few months we’d have had together. I promised her I’d think about it, and I have. I’ve also discussed it with her again. And.... I’ll go with you.”

“All because of this one girl telling you to?” the older woman asked her, eyebrow still raised. “That seems a bit hasty.”

Allison made a frustrated sound. “Isn’t that the choice you wanted though? So what does it matter how I got there?”

Braeden gave her a nod. “That’s true. And if your mind is truly made up and that is your decision, meet me ready to travel on the southern border of the forest at sunrise tomorrow. You have today to prepare for the journey. We have to move quickly because winter will soon be upon us.”

The brunette girl nodded. “I know. Thank you.”

“Say your goodbyes tonight as well. You won’t get time in the morning. I don’t want to delay this anymore. The king and queen are already anxious enough as it is.”

“Okay,” Allison replied quietly, trying to imagine how she’d say goodbye to Lydia that night. 

“Until morning then,” Braeden dismissed her.

\---

The morning came far too soon for Allison’s liking, but she was packed and ready to go. Hauling her bag up onto her shoulder, she headed to the meeting point a bit before sunrise. It was best that she avoided any awkward encounters with the townsfolk.The only two people that knew besides her and Braeden were Lydia and Lydia’s mom, and Allison wanted it to stay that way. 

Reaching the edge of the forest while still able to see the town, Allison set her bag down on the ground and plopped beside it. This journey wouldn’t be near as easy as her first had been. She had relaxed for far too long and it had made her softer.

The sun still hadn’t risen when Allison heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the buildings that made up the town. She looked up from where she’d been doodling in the dirt with a stick to see that Braeden was also early and surprised to see that Allison had beaten her to the meeting spot, although she hid that quickly. “Ready to go then?” she said in lieu of a greeting.

Allison nodded, pushing herself up to stand and picking up her bag again. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied unenthusiastically.

Ignoring her tone, Braeden gave Allison an almost sarcastic smile. “Good. It’s a long trip and I don’t have any time to waste.”

This made Allison scoff, but she didn’t comment as they headed off on the path the townspeople had made into the forest over the years. The duo walked in silence for the better part of the morning, only speaking to confirm a stop for breakfast. It was tense, but not entirely awkward, Allison’s moods dragging them both down.

It was past noon before they stopped again, the sun just barely visible enough through the canopy of leaves that they could see what time of day it was. As they settled down for lunch, Braeden finally broke the silence that had settled over them. “Why did you run away in the first place?” she asked suddenly, eyeing Allison as the other girl froze up.

“None of your business,” she replied almost snappishly. It wasn’t a huge secret or anything, but Allison didn’t feel like talking about it. Not now when she’d finally decided to head home. It would only serve to rile her back up and make her question her decision to go with this stranger. 

Braeden held her hands up in surrender, trying to convey that she meant no harm. "Fine. I was just curious. I'm sure you have a perfectly good reason for turning your back on your duty, after all."

Allison leveled her with a glare that would have cowed most others. "I know what you're trying to do. I won't let you manipulate me into telling you."

“Do you really think so little of me, Allison?”

It was the first time Braeden had said her name since their initial meeting, but it rolled off her tongue like they had known each for ages. There was no hesitation to it, like one would normally have with a new acquaintance. Allison frowned at her. “It’s not like you’ve given me any reason to think well of you. You came and disrupted my life when I was quite frankly the happiest I’ve ever been. And now you’re trying to get information that I’m not willing to share through manipulation. I have no reason to think you’ve anything but terrible. If you didn’t have the token from my mother we wouldn’t even be here, because I wouldn’t have come with you. I have no reasons to trust you, and I don’t.”

“I didn’t say you have to trust me. You just have to not judge me on my actions just because you don’t like the outcome they’ve created for you. I’ve caused you no harm. I’m only trying to help out a couple of worried parents who miss their daughter. You chose to come along. I didn’t force you. I said I would never force you. If you want to turn back, go ahead. I won’t stop you.”

Allison’s jaw clenched as she stared at the woman before her. After a moment, she turned her gaze away, focusing on packing up her things from their lunch. Braeden was still eating, but Allison no longer had an appetite. In her frustration, she pulled the cords of her pack unnecessarily tight, causing them to stretch slightly under her hand. She propped the pack against a tree, standing and wandering to the edge of the clearing they’d stopped in. She leaned on a tree there, staring off into the trees in the direction of their destination. Now that her home had been pushed to the forefront of her mind again, it seemed to be all that Allison could think about. The more she thought, the more she missed it: her parents, the castle gardens, the town below that she had only walked through a handful of times in her near twenty-two years. It had been her home, would always be her home if she was being honest. 

Hearing rustling behind her, Allison sighed and turned to see Braeden returning her supplies to her pack again. Knowing it was time to set out again, she shouldered her pack and waited for the other woman to be ready. Braeden nodded to her, face cold and withdrawn, before she headed onwards. Allison followed behind her, frowning. She didn’t feel guilty, really, for what she’d said. It was honest. However, she didn’t want to make this trip anymore strained than it was already sure to be. 

The tense, unhappy silence kept up the rest of the day until they stopped again at sunset for dinner and to set up camp for the night. “Braeden?” Allison said, halfway through the meal. 

Braeden looked up at her, but didn’t verbally respond, continuing to eat.

“I, um, I didn’t mean what I said earlier. It was uncalled for.”

She sighed and rested her dinner plate on her leg. “No, you meant it. Or you wouldn’t have said it. You’re just upset with what it caused.”

“Except it didn’t cause anything that hadn’t been happening all day anyway.” 

The other woman’s face nearly pulled into an amused smile, but she quelled it down at the last second. “It was different then, and we both know it. But I get it. I won’t try to get to know you or anything anymore. We’ll be strictly business until we get you home, in which case we’ll never have to see each other again.”

“That wasn’t ‘getting to know me’. That was diving right in to the heavy questions. You went straight for the one thing I don’t want to talk about.”

“We could talk about Lydia instead, then.”

Allison’s nose scrunched up and she frowned. “I don’t want to talk about Lydia either.”

"Then what do you want to talk about?"

Allison thought for a moment. "How about we talk about you?"

"I'm not interesting enough to talk about," Braeden tried to deflect, already knowing that Allison would push the issue regardless. It’s just how the other girl was.

"Well, I think you are. You wander around and apparently collect people. How did you get to that line of work? Why?"

Braeden sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to be able to get out of this. Allison would just push and push until she finally snapped and gave in. It wasn’t entirely fair, since Allison wasn’t keen on sharing her story, but it was the reality of what was happening. “I guess it sort of chose me. I’ve always been good at finding missing objects, and people were just a step up the ladder. Word spread and here I am.”

“That wasn’t entirely satisfying,” Allison said with a frown, “but I’ll accept it.”

“Good, because that’s all you’re getting.”

The brunette sighed. “So mysterious...” she replied, almost teasingly. The tension from that afternoon had faded away some through the conversation.

“You should rest now,” Braeden said, diverting the topic with a gesture towards the rising moon. “It’s dark and we have an early start in the morning. I’ll take first watch.”

“Okay,” Allison agreed, standing to retrieve her bedroll. “Thank you. Wake me in a few hours so you can get some rest as well.”

“I will.”

\-----

The two continued their journey to the castle, growing less tense with each other the more they traveled. Three or so weeks into their journey, they were closing in on becoming something that most people would call friends. However, if asked, both ladies would deny that’s what they were, determined to dislike the other, especially Allison. Despite having been in each other’s company constantly, neither of them were keen to open up yet either.

It was nearing noon and the two women were discussing how soon they would be stopping for lunch when they heard heavy footsteps coming up behind them. Both Braeden and Allison turned, weapons at the ready in case it was a threat. The person put up his hands in surrender, eyeing the weapons. 

“Why are you following us?” Braeden demanded, leveling her knife with the stranger’s chest.

“Who says I am? I could just be headed the same direction,” he defended himself, causing Allison to snort.

“That’s unlikely,” she replied. “Why would you purposefully make your footsteps heavy enough to get our attention if you were just headed the same way? You also said could be, not that you were.”

The young man smiled, although it wasn’t of the pleasant kind. “You’ve got me,” he said, tone condescending. He started backing away. “I’m just the distraction.”

Both of the girls’ eyes narrowed. “What do you mean distraction?” Braeden asked, stepping closer to him threateningly.

The man gestured for them to turn around. Allison did, while Braeden kept her eye on him. Behind them, three more people had snuck up, weapons drawn. Allison turned fully, bow trained on the one closest to them. “What do you want?”

“Your money, food... That bow is rather nice, as is that knife.”

“If you want them, you’ll have to take them from us,” Braeden challenged. 

“That’ll be easy,” the stranger in front of her said, finally drawing his own weapon.

“Bring it on.”

It was as though everyone moved at once, and the sounds of pain and metal on metal filled the air as the two groups clashed. The fight was short-lived as Allison and Braeden easily disabled their attackers. However, this was not without injury, with Braeden sustaining the worst of them. Due to being a long-ranged weapons person, Allison was farther away from the weapons of their attackers. 

Once they had stumbled a safe distance away from the scene of the altercation, the two slumped down to assess the damage and regroup. 

Hearing a hiss from Braeden’s direction, Allison looked over. It seemed that Braeden was struggling to examine a cut across her shoulder and onto her back. Finishing wrapping a bandage around her arm, Allison wandered over and sat next to Braeden. “Let me help with that.”

“I’ve got it. It’s not that bad anyway,” Braeden insisted, although her face betrayed the amount of pain she was in, twisted as she was.

“Braeden,” Allison said sternly, looking at her with the most commanding face she could muster. “Let me look at it. I can help.”

The other woman shook her head, but after a moment relented to letting Allison help, turning her back so the younger girl could see the wound. Allison ran her fingers gently along the injury, checking that it wasn’t too deep. “You’ll have to take off your shirt so I can wrap the bandage,” she said after a moment. “It needs stitching up anyway.”

Sighing, Braeden made to remove her shirt, requiring a little help from Allison since raising her arms too far pulled the cut and made it sting painfully. Once that was out of the way, Allison took a roll of bandages and carefully began to wrap them in place, binding them tightly. After she was sure the bandage wouldn’t come loose, she moved back slightly to look at Braeden. “There,” Allison said softly. “That should do until we reach the next town.”

“Thank you,” the other woman said just as quietly. After seeing what Allison was normally like over the last few weeks they’d been traveling together, seeing her do something so gentle startled Braeden slightly. 

Allison smiled at her. “Can’t have you slowing us down if we’re to get me home before winter arrives, can we?” she joked, trying to lessen the seriousness of the situation. However, they both knew it went farther and deeper than that. They both knew that they had come to care for the other. 

Braeden shook her head at Allison’s question. “Definitely can’t have that,” she said, fighting a smile of her own. 

The two lapsed into silence, looking at each other and taking a moment to be grateful that the fight had fallen so much in their favor. Despite the few injuries they sustained, the two women had gotten out relatively well given the odds. It lasted a moment longer before Allison leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to Braeden’s. However, Braeden pulled back not even a second later. “No, Allison,” she said, ignoring the other girl’s frown. “You’ve only just left Lydia behind. I will not be a substitute for her.”

“You’re not,” Allison protested.”Yes, I care about Lydia, and a part of me probably always will, but she and I were never much farther than surface deep. We had very little in common and only knew each other so well due to proximity. Through this trip, I feel like we’ve created a bond that’s deeper than that.”

“And you’re only saying that because you want to have your way.”

“No, I’m not. Surely you can tell when I’m lying by now.”

Braeden was silent for a moment, studying Allison’s face closely. She could see truth in it, but at the same time she was unsure if it was because it was the actual truth or just because Allison wanted it to be the truth. Weighing the options, Braeden eventually nodded. There was no harm in pursuing something that seemed to be mutual. They would be parting in a matter of months anyway, once Allison was back home. 

Seeing the nod, Allison’s face lit into a bright smile and she leaned forward again. This time Braeden didn’t back away, returning the kiss hesitantly. It had the awkwardness of something new, but it also felt of something promising. 

\----

The remainder of the journey back to the Argent castle took another few weeks, with the two young women becoming closer all the while. Just on the edge of winter, they finally reached the edge of the town. With less than a day’s journey left, they stopped to set up camp for the night. 

Poking lightly at the dinner Braeden had prepared that evening, Allison looked over at the other woman. “I’ll be home tomorrow,” she said softly. 

“You will,” Braeden agreed, keeping her tone neutral. 

“I no longer know if I want to be. If it means that I will never see you again...”

Braeden shook her head at the younger girl. “You have your duty to your kingdom. They need their heir returned home safely. You also have your duty to your parents who are beside themselves with worry.”

“I know.” Allison looked down at her meal in order to avoid Braeden’s eyes. She knew that Braeden was right, but at the same time she didn’t want to part ways with this person she’d grown so close to. It would be like tearing off a limb, because in the past months they had grown so close they were nearly the same person. Allison wouldn’t yet call it romantic love, but she could see it becoming that if given the chance. The level of care for each other was definitely already there. She chewed her lip, finally looking up at Braeden again. “But I also have a duty to my happiness, and it does not lie there.”

“Allison...”

“Please. I don’t want to part ways with you so soon. Just a while longer. I can get home in the spring if you still think I should.” Allison reached over, taking one of Braeden’s hands in her own, fingers running over the calloused skin there. “Please.”

Braeden sighed, turning slightly to look up at the lights of the castle before looking down at their joined hands. “Okay,” she replied. “We can take the long way around.”

It put a kink in her plans for after she’d been paid by the king and queen, but for Allison it was worth it. Nothing had ever taken precedent over the mission she’d set herself on years ago, but Allison seemed to be worming her way in. 

Allison grinned at her, entire face lighting up. “Perhaps we could take a trip across the sea, get somewhere warmer for the winter months. There is far too much snow here.”

At the words, Braeden smiled as well. Maybe her plans weren’t halted. Maybe Allison could help her with them. Maybe it didn’t matter. “That sounds perfect to me.”


End file.
